Two businessmen from Balti were detained for illegal deforestation of 9 hectares of forest

Two businessmen from Balti were detained for illegal deforestation of 9 hectares of forest

The founder and the manager of a company from Balti were recently detained by the NAC officers and the anticorruption prosecutors in a criminal case on malfeasance in office. The men are suspected of illegal deforestation 9 hectares of forest (plot Ivanovca, Făleşti), that way they have cause a damage to the state budget of about more than 1 million lei.

According to the NAC, the two businessmen leased 28 hectares of forest for 49 years to exploit it for the purpose of hunting. In this regard, they signed a contract with Moldsilva Agency, according to which tenants were to provide security and forest regeneration, to make the most of the wood by only cutting it for care purpose, increase livestock and rationally exploit forest reserves.

The reality was far from the contract stipulations. Thus, since June 2016, the businessmen, together with other individuals, began the construction of a lake and two access roads to it. For this purpose, they cleared around 9 hectares of forest and uncovered the soil without any authorization, causing a damage to the state budged of about 1 million lei.

Following the preliminary investigations, the officers and NAC prosecutors found that the trader acted in collusion with officials from the Environmental Inspectorate and the State Forestry Enterprise Balti. Several searches were carried out at these two institutions and at the residencies of the two suspects. There were taken some relevant evidence to the case and the people involved escorted for hearing to the Balti Territorial Directorate of the NAC.

The investigation continues and the founder and the administrator of the commercial agent were arrested for 72 hours.

If found guilty the suspects are facing a punishment by a fine of up to 2350 conventional units or imprisonment from 2 to 6 years, in both cases with the deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or to exercise certain activities for a period of 2-5 years.